the disloyal order of sunflowers
by shugotenshii
Summary: Marianne's eldest son-eight years old and proud of it-the eleventh Prince to the Britannian throne, had attempted to escape three times in the past two days over that wall, but this fourth time was the charm. suzalulu/some kind of cinderellastory.
1. the disloyal order of sunflowers

**Totally and utterly based off a roleplay with my friend. : D No clue about the title, might change later. Been listening to too much Fallout Boy and Cinderfella was too overused.**

**Timeframe: 2000-2018 (Code Geass)  
Slightly au... meaning Lulu isn't a power hungry nutcase working two sides of psycho street.  
Kind of Cinderella-ish.  
Hopefully no typos.**

**Happy Demyx Day?**

x.x.x

**The **_Disloyal_** Order of **Sunflowers

When Lady Marianne had suggested putting a trellis covered in wisteria across part of the great stone walls that kept their lives private, the governess immediately told her it was a bad idea. The Lady didn't listen, wishing only to be able to smell sweetness every time she opened her bedroom window.

Of course, as these things always go, the governess was quite right and Marianne should've just shut up and listened. Marianne's eldest son (eight years old and proud of it), the eleventh Prince to the Britannian throne, had attempted to escape three times in the past two days over that wall, but this fourth time was the charm. Before anyone in the palace could realize he was missing, the little raven boy managed to climb his way to the top of the wall. That didn't last long however, because the young Prince possessed the strength, stamina and weight of a newborn kitten, and a breeze pushed him right off.

He toppled right over the ledge, landing unceremoniously on top of another human body with a warning yelp of "Look out!" Said human body let out a strange noise as all the air was suddenly forced out of his body upon impact and fell to the ground with the Prince on top of him.

Forest green eyes, framed by messy curls of auburn hair, fluttered open, meeting bright violet orbs and a curtain of black bangs. The brunette boy blinked, frowned, and then promptly let out a whining "_Ow_...!"

"S-sorry," the Prince muttered, blinking slowly at the other boy. He hadn't seen any other children who weren't servants or relatives because he wasn't allowed to talk to outsiders, so he was... awfully intrigued by the brunette. "I didn't break you or anything... did I?"

"Break me?" the boy asked incredulously, blinking up at the other with wide eyes. "What about _you_, falling out of the sky an' stuff?"

Sure enough, that was the exact way it seemed to him in his head. He hadn't noticed the young Prince teetering precariously on the edge of the wall, so the only thing he could come up with was that the Britannian fell... well, out of the sky.

The raven boy shook his head, feeling a small smile tug at his lips and glanced himself over. "I'm fine. The... sky isn't really that big, not too bad a fall." For some reason, he felt it necessary to lie, especially with the growing commotion inside the palace walls once the maids realized the Prince had gone missing. "U-um... listen, we should probably... run."

...On the other hand, there _was_ the possibility that the boy had escaped from the castle grounds. After all, people didn't just _fall_ from the sky.

"Run? Why? Is someone after you?" the brunette boy asked, pushing the other away so that he could sit up without knocking their foreheads together.

"Not yet, but they will be in a moment." The little boy spoke very eloquently for such a young child, and though his body was thin and frail looking inside his expensive clothes, his violet eyes were sharp, staring off somewhere behind them. He jumped up and pulled insistently on the brunette's hand, trying to tug him up.

After getting over his initial shock, the other boy leapt to his feet with surprising ease, practically dragging the raven-haired boy after him as he burst into a sprint. They ran for the cover of the blooming magnolia trees that surrounded the castle grounds, petals and twigs and dead leaves crunching beneath their feet. The young Prince knew that if they stayed there, they would _both_ be found, so he led the brunette farther into the trees until they came to the field of sunflowers that grew on the outskirts of the sparse forest.

"In here!" the Prince hissed, shoving the other boy into the green stalks and jumping in after him. The sunflowers towered over their heads and the ground beneath their round heads was dark, soft and quiet. Both boys collapsed to their knees, panting heavily and clutching the stitches at their sides. The brunette recovered quickly, but the raven seemed to be having some trouble.

"Whew..." The brunette boy grinned and swiped his messy bangs out of his eyes, glancing around. "You picked a sunflower patch?"

The Prince scowled (though it looked more like a pout on his face), his cheeks puffing up. "Well, I would've run for the city-" (The castle was nestled comfortably atop a hill, overlooking the bustling city down below.) "-but I can't handle that much physical exertion."

The brunette merely blinked at him and cocked his head. "Fiza-whatty? Anyways, you wouldn't wanna go down there now, there's Knightmares there."

"...Knightmares? What are they doing in the city? Are they attacking?"

The brunette gave him a look and chuckled, shaking his head. "No, silly, they're patrolling, jus' like they do every night. You're from the castle, aren'tcha? Aren'tcha s'posed to know?"

"...No, I fell out of the sky."

"Yeah _right_. If you're a sky person, then aren't you supposed to have wings? Lemme see."

"...I don't have any."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

The Prince huffed and crossed his arms, glaring at a ladybug that was slowly skittering its way up a sunflower stalk. "Well, _sorry_, I'm not very well-informed on these sorts of things... So are we just going to stay _here_ all night?"

"Why not?" the brunette asked, a grin stretching over his face, leaning back on his hands. He obviously wasn't from the same background the Prince was, that much could be said from his ripped jeans and slightly torn black shirt, and messy auburn hair. ...Or maybe that part was just natural. "I don't got anywhere to go and you don't wanna go back, right?"

"Because it won't be very comfortable," the little aristocrat grumbled, brushing some dirt off his silk shirt. "And it's dirty. And what if it rains? We won't be protected if we stay here."

"Aw, we'll be fine," the other drawled, jumping up to push some sunflowers out of the way. The setting sun in the distance drenched the sky red as it sank behind the city's skyline. "See that colour? That means the weather's gonna be good."

The Prince didn't look convinced, pulling his knees to his chest and sighing. "...Do you usually sleep outside like this? Don't you have a... y'know, home to sleep in?"

"Only sometimes. Mostly when I get bored. And it's not cold, it's summertime, duh." The boy flopped onto his back, completely unconcerned with the things that were bothering the other, and stretched. "'Sides, it smells nice."

"...What were you doing anyway, sneaking around the castle in the first place?"

"...I was bored. ...Well, I was kinda already outside and the Knightmares kinda creep me out, so I just thought I'd come up this way and do some explorin'. What were _you_ doin'?"

"My sister was trying to put me in a dress again so I ran." He lay down cautiously beside the brunette boy, curling up into a little ball. He was starting to feel a little agoraphobic. "My... name's Lelouch."

"So you _are_ from the castle!"

"Well, obviously, I thought we'd established that," Lelouch scoffed, rolling his large eyes. "So what about you? Do you have a name, or did your parents think you weren't worth it?"

"'Course I gotta name!" the brunette grumbled, tilting his head towards the Prince and regarding him with a glare. "It's Suzaku, okay? Su-za-ku. My mom picked it out."

"Well, you didn't respond, so how was I supposed to know?" Lelouch giggled and moved a little closer to Suzaku's side for warmth, being used to sleeping with thick, downy blankets. "Japanese?"

"That's right," Suzaku replied somewhat proudly, his grin borderline cocky.

Lelouch sighed softly and averted his gaze up to the sky. It was really dark by then and stars sprinkled the navy blue like dust. It looked like... he was sleeping outside with his new friend. His siblings would have a heart-attack if they knew he'd succumbed himself to the dirt. "...T'morrow... wanna play hide an' seek, or somethin'?" he asked softly, voice thick with sleep.

"Only if you think you can keep up with me," Suzaku answered, a hint of amusement lacing his voice. He grinned and lifted his hand, ruffling Lelouch's hair, but the young Britannian was already asleep.

x.x.x

In the morning, Suzaku kept true to his word and both boys stumbled back into the the grove of magnolia trees, rubbing their eyes and giggling in the morning mist.

"I'm counting to ten so you better run..!"

They spent the better part of that morning clambering over roots and skirting around tree trunks and poking and teasing each other. On the most recent hiding spot, Lelouch found Suzaku easier than before. He grinned broadly at the cluster of bushes and sang "Gotcha!" Until, of course, he was lifted into the air.

"No, _I_ gotcha," a stately looking teenager with blonde hair and very regal attire cooed, lifting a struggling and yelling Lelouch into his arms. "You nearly gave your mother a stroke. How could a brilliant little boy like you _possibly_ think that this was a good idea?"

"Let me down, Schneizel! Get off me!" the youngest Prince whined, flailing and kicking his legs in an attempt to break free.

Suzaku crawled out of his hiding place, blinking in confusion and picking a leaf out of his brown curls. He regarded the blonde (who was now holding his new friend captive) with a look of distaste, scrunching his little nose and crossing his arms firmly over his chest. "Who're _you_?"

For a second, the eldest Prince looked like he was going to punt the runt, but decided to let it go, letting out a chuckle instead.

"Prince Schneizel, at your service," he said, somewhat unkindly. "Here to pick up my mischievous little brother. He's worried his mother and siblings terribly."

Lelouch continued to struggle, to no avail, with protests that fell on deaf ears. "Go back by yourself!"

Suzaku scowled and scuffed his shoe against the ground. "Sooo... are you taking him back then? Are we gonna play again?"

"Ohh, no. If little _Lulu_-" Said boy growled at the nickname, "-ever gets unpunished, he has _so_ much to do. Being a Prince is hard work, you know. Not that you have to worry about such things, so why don't you just run along?" When Suzaku didn't budge, Schneizel frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Before I call the Royal Guard."

Suzaku took a step back and Lelouch panicked, fumbling for something around his neck. The chain snapped apart and he threw the object in the brunette's direction. It flashed gold and purple in the light. "Don't forget me! Okay?"

Suzaku snatched the object out of the air and ran before the older Prince could do anything to stop him. "I won't!" he called over his shoulder, flashing the raven-haired boy a grin as he disappeared among the sunflower stalks.

Lelouch sniffled and smiled slightly, feeling a little relieved, but only for a short while.

Schneizel shifted his grip on his little brother and looked at him distastefully. "That was a birthday present from your mother, wasn't it? He'll just sell it, you know. That boy looked like he hadn't eaten in days, and that medallion is worth more than anything anyone in that city owns."

Of course, the blonde only looked towards worrying the pants off his little brother as punishment for running out of the castle like that.

And he succeeded, because for a few years after that, Lelouch would wonder every day if Suzaku had sold the charm. Ever since he had escaped, security had been tightened and everyone kept their eyes on him, so it was hard to find out. Eventually, he convinced himself that Suzaku had forgotten about him and just went and sold the stupid thing. After all... he needed to eat, right? As a few more years passed and Lelouch grew into a teenager, he started to wonder again. Not knowing for sure made him nauseous, so he asked Schneizel to look into it. The blonde refused to let Lelouch think about the commoner, so he pretended to search and told his brother that the charm had been sold several years prior. It broke the prince's heart, but he didn't speak of it again, pretending to have forgotten.

And a few more years later, when both boys turned eighteen (one only slightly older than the other), Suzaku finally found himself standing in front of the gates to the Britannian palace, eyes on the verge of falling shut as he inhaled the familiar scent of magnolia blossoms and sunflowers. Memories hit him full force, and he felt his chest ache.

The brunette was dressed in a Knightmare's flightsuit now, white and navy blue, buttoned all the way up to his throat and clinging to his lean body. A small gold and purple charm was attached right above the zipper, still gleaming brightly after all those years.

Suzaku sighed softly to himself, tuning out the sound of Lloyd chattering away with a couple of the guards standing at the gates and tried to ease the anxious churning in his stomach.

"Alright, we're expected!" Lloyd exclaimed with a look of scary excitement. "Ohoho, and what this on the uniform I made you?" he asked, leaning close to examine the little charm. Suzaku, who already used to Lloyd's... quirks, didn't move away. "From a nice girl, I suppose? No matter, though it does look familiar. Come on, come on, we can't keep Schneizel waiting, he'll have us murdered!" (Though he sound extremely excited over the prospect.) He headed past the wrought-iron gates, fixing his glasses with Suzaku at his heel.

The brunette had crinkled his nose at the mention of the blonde prince. Over the years he had mellowed out into a friendly, dependable person, but whenever he heard the name Schneizel... he just wanted to punch a hole in a wall. Despite all this, he followed his boss without protest, nervously tugging at the cuffs on his gloves. "I kind of wish I hadn't eaten breakfast," he muttered under his breath.

"I can't believe you really ate all that," Lloyd said, almost in awe. "Even I won't eat Cecile's cooking. Suzaku, you're my hero."

Once again, Suzaku couldn't tell if the man was being serious or not, especially with his cackling laughter, but he decided to spare his sanity and not question it.

They went through the main hall, which was decked out in shining white marble and windows that reached the ceiling and chandeliers that hung every twenty feet, and headed towards the audience chamber.

"Well... I _had_ to. You saw the look she gave me, right? The if-you-don't-eat-this-I-will-grab-the-nearest-piece-of-machinery-and-bash-you-in-the-head-with-it look. ...But I suppose if it makes me a hero, then I can live with that."

"I don't know, I would take my chances with the machinery, I hope you have something for-ah, Prince Schneizel! How _fantastic_ to see you again!" Lloyd threw his arms open and bowed (and Suzaku thought he couldn't be stranger even if he tried).

Schneizel only nodded in greeting from his throne (Suzaku resisted the urge to bite his knuckles). On both of his sides were the younger, lesser royalty-a woman with waves of lilac hair and purple eyes, a girl about Suzaku's age with light, almost pink hair and bright periwinkle eyes, a younger blonde girl with closed eyes...

...And the last one, who stood out the most. The ebony-haired, violet-orbed prince sat on the far right, staring boredly out the nearest window with his elbow resting on the chair's armrest and his chin propped up in his hand. He hadn't noticed that his old childhood friend was standing a mere fifteen feet away from him, as he hadn't been told the name of the new Knight, and therefore didn't care.

All of Suzaku's desires for Schneizel to spontaneously combust suddenly flew out of the proverbial window the moment his green eyes fell on the lithe raven teen, sitting there with a look of indifference on his face. His heart stuttered, skipped, leaped and lodged itself in his throat, pounding against the pendant that was buttoned to his uniform.

The blind girl beside the youngest Prince reached for his hand, tugging on it insistently. "Lulu? Lulu, who is it?"

"Who cares?" Lelouch drawled, voice carrying through the room. "I'm not worried about some silly ceremony."

His sister pouted in disappointment and crossed her arms.

"So this is the guinea pig for your new project, Count?" Schneizel spoke up, almost sneering instead of smiling. There was something about the brunette that he didn't like... "He seems a little... common."

Lloyd shrugged, cocking his hands on his hips and glancing over his shoulder at said 'guinea pig.' "I didn't pick him, the Knightmare did. Besides, he's perfectly capable, so I have no complaints."

Suzaku jerked himself out of his reverie, wrenching his eyes away from Lelouch with more force than he thought was necessary and tapped a fist against his chest, taking a bow. "...Kururugi Suzaku, at your service."

x.x.x

**Hmmmmmm. Not quite sure what to say. Did you enjoy it? **

**WILL YOU REVIEW IT? D:**


	2. you're no cinderella

**This chapter probably sounds a little choppy because it's taken directly from the roleplay... It's hard for me to melt our writing styles together like this... but oh well. At least she fixed my typos. **

x.x.x

**The** _Disloyal_ **Order** **of** Sunflowers

_you're no cinderella._

Lelouch's head whipped up in seconds at the sound of the other's voice. "Suzaku?" he breathed out, so quietly that even Nanaly might not have heard it. Just one look, seeing those messy chestnut curls and bright green eyes, and he was certain. His heart-rate picked up, but he ignored it, narrowing his eyes angrily. After all, the brunette had supposedly sold his gift.

"I see. And you say the Lancelot is more powerful than any other Knightmare?"

"Correct!" Lloyd practically sang, clapping his hands together with childish excitement. "I promise you, it will completely _eviscerate_ your enemies. Or your money back! Well, your father funded it, so he'll get it back, but you know."

While Schneizel exchanged a strange look with Cornelia, Suzaku straightened out and lifted his head, his auburn bangs falling back over his eyes and catching on his lashes. He met Lelouch's penetrating violet gaze and couldn't help but offer him a small, nervous smile. The Prince scowled and averted his eyes, trying to pretend that he hadn't been looking at the brunette, that he hadn't uttered his name... but, as if a magnet was pulling him, his line of vision slowly drew back to Suzaku's eyes. Lelouch couldn't help but look him over, interested in how well he'd grown. And then he noticed the tiny gold a purple charm against his throat.

Forgetting his anger and his plots for revenge for Schneizel, Lelouch smiled back, knowing now that he hadn't been forgotten. And before he could stop himself, he was mouthing out "_I missed you_."

"_I missed you, too_," Suzaku mouthed back, grinning with relief. All these years he'd been worried about what would happen if he ever met Lelouch again... if the Prince would forget him. Thankfully, he seemed to have left a lasting impression.

Lelouch's smile grew, and it was starting to become extremely difficult to pretend that he didn't know the other. Much to his annoyance, Cornelia seemed to catch on.

"Schneizel, can you tell Lelouch to stop flirting? It's kind of rude."

Lelouch's smile twitched and turned malicious. "_Flirting_?" he countered quickly, narrowing his eyes at the woman. "I'm doing _nothing_ of the sort."

Suzaku bit his lip and tried not to snicker, instead fixing his gaze to the floor. It had been ages, and Lelouch had changed so much but... just _being_ in his presence felt so damn familiar that the brunette just wanted to laugh.

Lelouch noticed Suzaku's amusement and turned what people might call _pink_, considering the fact he never wanted to be associated with that color _ever_ again, especially after the whole... _dress up_ fiasco with his sisters. Ugh. He turned to the window with a huff and Nanaly smiled knowingly, feeling her brother's pulse quicken through her own fingertips.

Meanwhile, Lelouch was internally trying to convince himself that everything was okay. Suzaku had finally shown up and had grown into this beautiful, strong man who had a body that the gods would envy and a smile that made every gem and every stone and every diamond in the palace look pale in comparison. Who wouldn't flirt a little?

After reviewing his previous thoughts, Lelouch went pale as a sheet before returning to his previous blush. _Oh my god, I can't believe I just used all those words... in the same sentence._

And while Lelouch faced his mental dilemma, Schneizel, realizing that the Knight's identity had been revealed to Lelouch, stood up with a horridly fake smile on his face. "The meeting is over, is it not?" he said slowly, stressing every word as he glared coldly at Suzaku and tried to ignore Cornelia's mutterings about Kanon. "Should you not be on your way to train and whatnot?"

"Oh, no, we're good," Lloyd assured with a wave of his hand. "Whole day's open."

Suzaku bit back a triumphant smirk, half directed towards Schneizel and half towards the color now clouding Lelouch's cheeks. "As I said, I am at you service," he replied coolly, keeping his voice and gaze steady.

"Then my command is to go and train so that you aren't a disgrace to Lloyd's praise," the blonde Prince snapped back, just as coolly. "It would just be embarrassing, would it not?"

Lelouch's breath caught slightly in his throat as those words were spoken. He might never see Suzaku again and this meeting was ending before they could even have a real word together. And with Schneizel around, that was next to impossible.

"But, Your Highness, I have just completed training before coming here. You would not want your new guard more tired out that usual, would you? How will I protect the Royal Family?" Suzaku cocked his head, the smile on his face _almost_ smug. He had to kick it down a notch to keep himself from being so obvious.

"Then maybe you should be resting and not in my audience chamber, don't you think?" Schneizel said, looking even more arrogant. "Since, after all, you are _so_ tired. Go home, get some rest." It sounded almost nice. Almost, but not quite.

Suzaku slumped internally in defeat, resisting the urge to squirm childishly on the spot. His eyes flicked to Lelouch, meeting his eyes for the briefest of moments before looking away again. Just that was enough to send pleasant warmth washing through his body. He sighed and bowed once more, glaring at the polished floor. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Lelouch turned to gaze at his brother, violet eyes cold as ice and raging with anger. _I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you, I'mgoingtokillyou-_

Schneizel would get his in the end. After all, he had no power over him, and this was all a charade, since everyone knew Lelouch had been chosen for the throne (and a certain _somebody_, whose name will not be mentioned but is still blatantly obvious, was _not_ happy about it).

"Farewell, and take care," Schneizel said quietly, chuckling almost sadistically. He beckoned the captain of the guards over and whispered something in his ear, leaving everyone else to their own devices.

Well. This wasn't fair. Suzaku bit his lip, throwing an equally-distressed Lelouch a desperate look before he reluctantly followed orders and left the audience chamber as casually as he possibly could with Lloyd.

As soon as the final gate closed and they were outside the palace walls, the guard who had escorted them inside stepped before the pair.

"Knight Kururugi Suzaku, you have been banned from the castle from this point on, on the threat of death. Have a good day." The guard saluted and headed back to his post.

For the record, Suzaku was having an _awful_ day.

"...What did you _do_?" Lloyd asked with a snicker, arching a set of fine brows at the brunette.

Suzaku was silent for a moment, trying to swallow back the sudden animalistic urge to _pummel_ something(one). _Don't get mad, don't get mad, don't get-oh, fuck it-_"How the _hell_ should I know?" he scoffed, glaring green venom at the gates.

"He might just want to use you in battle," Lloyd reminded, wagging a finger at him. "Anyway, did this have anything to do with the youngest Prince? He _is_ going to become King after all, even if the reason is ultimately because he reminds his father of his favorite wife."

Suzaku sighed heavily and shrugged, slowly dragging a hand through his auburn curls. "Well, see, Lelouch and I met before... Did you hear about how he escaped when he was eight years old?"

"And became friends with a kid from the city, of-oh watch out." Lloyd chuckled as a paper airplane made out of fine sky-blue stationary sailed overhead and hit Suzaku in the shoulder. The brunette caught it before it hit the ground, a grin working its way over his features as he unfolded the plane.

And the note read, in well-disciplined calligraphy:

_"Don't worry about my brother. We will meet again, and soon. I can promise you this, no matter what it takes. Wait for me, and never forget me."_

Suzaku laughed softly, not even noticing that Lloyd was reading over his shoulder. "If I haven't forgotten you in ten years, what makes you-"

"Ooooh, a love letter? And with no name? I _do_ wonder who it could be from."

"Maybe. It's a secret," Suzaku played along, swatting Lloyd away and feeling a great deal lighter.

In the tower window from which the paper airplane had started its journey, Lelouch smiled and returned to his bedroom to plan his eighteenth birthday. He would have to choose a wife, because a King needed an heir, a future ruler... but Schneizel _did_ say he could invite _anyone_...

x.x.x

Several days later, along with all the usual junk mail and bills, a single high-quality parchment envelope arrived at Suzaku's modest home.

...And by modest, we really mean that apartment building in the Shinjuku Ghetto. Right over there. No. To your left. Yeah, that one. See? It's not so bad.

Suzaku flipped through a couple of medical bills with a sad frown and was about to just chuck the whole pile on the kitchen table and forget about it for a few hours when his fingers brushed the thickest envelope. He recognized the penmanship on the back and his eyes lit up as he pulled it open.

Inside was an official invitation to a three-day ball, for the coronation and matrimony for Lelouch vi Britannia (Suzaku ignored the matrimony bit). Only members of the Royal Family could get in without an invitation, and this little piece of paper would solve all of Suzaku's problems, no matter what bans Schneizel decided to throw in. The letter was completely formal and official, except for the little line in the bottom corner, which said, "See you soon, Suzaku" in hurried script (okay, even _Lelouch_ could write neatly while in a hurry, what was up with that?). Packed with the letter was a gem-encrusted gold coin that would serve as the actual invite. There was no reason in particular that it was so fancy-shmancy except for the fact that it probably showed off expensive tastes and was damn near impossible to counterfeit.

Suzaku grinned like a lovestruck teen and then promptly smacked himself for acting so girly. It was just Lelouch. Just his childhood friend. Just someone who maybe wouldn't mind getting fucked into his own thro-

_OKAY WRONG TRAIN OF THOUGHT!_

Either way, it didn't really matter. After all, the very next day, and order was issued for Suzaku to lead a patrol in the mountains on the borders, where they were supposedly expecting a rebellion attack. No intelligence about it had been heard by anyone else in the army, and the order happened to fall right on all three days of Lelouch's birthday, along with one day before.

And it was a mandatory order, signed by Prince Schneizel.

Suzaku had no choice but to go. On the very first day out, he cursed the Prince to hell and back, trying not to chew Lancelot's control system out of frustration. Not only was he going to end up missing Lelouch's birthday... but it was fucking _boring as hell_. Lancelot was made for combat, not for standing around pointlessly and waiting around for lord knows what or who. It was very, very time consuming. Suzaku was convinced at one point that he could feel the hair on his head grow.

The night before he had to leave again for the border, an extremely loud (and annoying) knock sounded from his front door. After being blatantly ignored, the knock grew louder.

The brunette promptly fell off his bed in a flailing tangle of arms, legs and sheets, nearly crushing his poor cat into the floor. The feline hissed angrily, darting out of the bedroom before it was killed in some bed-master-related accident.

Suzaku huffed at the ceiling from the floor, flinching when the knocking grew insistent, and pulled his legs free from his sheets, retying the strings on his pajama pants.

"I'm coming, fuck!" (As one can tell, Suzaku isn't _always_ all sunshine and daisies.) He grumbled and ambled through the dark, tripping _only_ a handful of times before his hand met the door handle. The tumblers rumbled loudly and the door was yanked open, flooding the inside of Suzaku's dark apartment with light.

"...Uhm."

In the doorway stood a tall girl clad in some strange white outfit, with golden eyes and a black witch's hat sitting atop her iron-straight green hair (though Suzaku wasn't aware of it, the hat was really a joke). "I am here to solve all of your woes with magic," she said in a completely impassive tone. "I even brought a magic wand, see? ...Wait, where is it." She dug through her large white sleeves, finally producing a springy rod with a star on top.

Suzaku was hardly aware that he was staring at her with his jaw hanging open. There were three possibilities to this situation. One, he went crazy. Two, he was dreaming. Or three, a drunk had stumbled upon his apartment building.

...She certainly didn't _look_ drunk, but her spiel on magic made Suzaku skeptic. "Excuse me?"

"Royal Magician, C.C., at your service," the girl said with a mocking bow. "... Sort of. I really only do magic for the people that I like. You better be glad that I was such good friends with Marianne, and so her son is one of my top priorities."

"Marianne? Son? You know Lelouch?" Suzaku asked somewhat dumbly, his hand dropping from the doorknob and falling slack at his side.

C.C. rolled her eyes, brushing past Suzaku without even asking for permission first and sat herself on top of the kitchen table, crossing her legs and narrowing her eyes. "Of course. He's been looking forward to your visit, and I believe that if you don't go, he will never recover. And Marianne wouldn't like that. So I'm going to fix it."

After a long silent moment of internal arguing, Suzaku shut the door and flicked on the lights. With a click, the room was instantly bathed in a soft white glow and the brunette had to rub his eyes. C.C. wasn't bothered and flicked the rim of her hat up so she could see better. "It's not like I was planning on _not_ going. I've been ordered for patrol. _Tomorrow_. And the next two days after that."

"Yes, and if you show up tomorrow at the castle, Schneizel will most likely have you shot on the spot." C.C. chuckled sardonically, seeming almost pleased with the idea. "So, we have two big problems here. We need to make it look like you're working, and at the same time, you can't be seen at the party. And I can fix both." She held up her hand before Suzaku could even open his mouth to speak. "Lloyd already knows of this, so don't worry about anyone noticing."

"So... you're going to take my place in Lancelot?" the brunette asked, pulling out a chair on the opposite side of the table and slumping down in it. "But what about me being recognized if I _do_ go?"

Instead of responding, C.C. looked through her pockets again. After a bit of cursing and zipper pulling, she held out a simple silver ring for the teen. "As long as you wear this, no one will know who you are unless you tell them your name."

Suzaku looked a little skeptical, but he plucked it out of her fingers anyway. "Okay, fine. But how do I know I can trust you?"

C.C. huffed, arching her delicate brows. "What's to trust? That I won't act like an idiot in Lancelot? That the ring won't work? Well, _boy_, I know one way to prove that I'm powerful. Tell me, what are you going to wear tomorrow?"

Suzaku opened his mouth to retort to the 'idiot' bit but stopped short. "...I don't... know?"

"_Really_?" C.C. drawled, smiling almost eerily. Her green eyes slowly slid down to Suzaku's chest. "Because what you're wearing now should be fine, I think."

Suzaku blinked once and then looked down, quite promptly toppling out of his chair with a yelp and a follow-up groan when his head smacked against the floor. "...What are you, my fairy godmother?" The material stretched across his body was a deep navy blue, with a high collar, a white chest and gold trim that ran all the way down two a pair of black boots. Considering that this very same uniform had been worn hundreds of years prior by the last Knight of Zero, it was definitely the real deal.

"Gloves are on the table. And I'm not going to repeat myself," C.C. said with an exasperated sigh. "I already told you. Do you believe in my power _now_? And are you going to the stupid party or not, because if you won't, then Lelouch is probably going to kill you. I'm being kind, okay? I don't do this often."

"I can tell," Suzaku mumbled, slowly picking himself up and gingerly rubbing the back of his head.

C.C. smirked somewhat proudly and uncrossed her legs, jumping off the table. "Anyway, there's a dry cleaner bag if you need it in your closet. Oh, yes, and before I forget, a few things about that ring... First of all, if you take it off, the spell will break. If you put it back on, the spell will return, but anyone who has seen you during that time will be disillusioned. And... it only lasts until about three in the morning. It's better than midnight and you're no Cinderella."

"So I have to be out of there before three?" Suzaku asked, twirling the silver band between his fingers and watching it shine in the dull light. "I can live with that, I suppose." He lifted his head, offering a somewhat shy smile to the green-haired girl. "Thank you."

"It's not like that's _all_ the time you get," C.C. reminded with a wag of her finger. "I'm sort of having fun, so I'll take care of the second day, and the masquerade as well. And after the magic runs out, you can just sell the ring. It's of no value to me. Use the money..." She smiled, golden eyes flicking up to the table. "...for the bills. Lelouch would be mad if I didn't help even with that a little."

Suzaku frowned and glanced down at the table where the white envelopes sat waiting for him in a neat little stack (of doom). "He knows?"

"No, not yet he doesn't. But I do believe that if he knew, he would be mad. I know I like to invade peoples' privacy, but I'm not _that_ bad." _I'll tell him at some point, you watch._

"...It's fine. I've got it handled."

C.C. rolled her eyes and leaned over, flicking the brunette in the forehead and ignoring his angered exclamation. "Yeah, but a little help won't hurt. Just take it, or you'll wake up one day and _everything_ will be paid for. I'm sure you're too proud to take it, but it will happen one way or another. Then again, Schneizel told Lelouch you sold that." She cocked a brow, tapping at the amethyst charm she had placed at Suzaku's throat.

"Why would I?" Suzaku nearly snapped, bristling in irritation at the mention of the blonde. "I may not have a lot of money but even _then_ I wouldn't throw something like this away. It's worth more than money."

C.C. smiled and leaned closer, her hair falling like a green curtain around Suzaku's head. "I'm just saying, a lot of people with different senses of justice would have sold it and lived well for a long time. I was there, y'know. Watching you two. I was kind of pissed at Schneizel, too."

The brunette sighed, bringing a hand to his throat. "It's not like I'm unhappy or anything (for the most part). Why sell something like this for something meaningless?"

"Greed," C.C. explained, finally straightening out and crossing her arms over her chest. "Not all people are like you. But the ring is something worthless, so you're better off selling it than holding on to it."

"...Alright, fine," Suzaku relented, his usual cocky grin working its way back over his features. "And wait, what do you mean, you were 'there watching us'?"

"In the tree. Right before you accidentally whacked Lelouch over the head with a sunflower." She shrugged, casually examining her nails. "Marianne was worried, so I was making sure he was in good hands."

Suzaku arched an eyebrow, finding it interesting that C.C. had technically allowed Lelouch to stay outside of the castle walls... until Schneizel found him, of course. "...Okay." He bit his lip, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Um, I'm not trying to sound rude, but... it's like two in the morning and I'm _really_ tired..."

"Of course." C.C. gave the brunette another mock bow and then headed to the door, fixing her hat as she went. "Just remember to wear the ring and leave before three and everything should be fine. Take care, and don't break his fragile little heart." The door slammed shut before Suzaku could ask and she vanished only seconds later.

The brunette smiled to himself and walked back to the bedroom, dropping the ring into the drawer beside his bed. His cat, who had been sitting there the whole time watching the newcomer with unblinking green orbs, eyed the ring hungrily as it fell.

"...No, Arthur, you can _not_ eat it," Suzaku scolded, narrowing his eyes at the cat. "Because if you do, I swear I-" Crunch. "Ow, _fuck_!"

x.x.x

**Chapter two is done! : DD**

**I swear I'm more talkative than this, I'm just so tired right now... been playing 358/2 days nonstooooooooop.**

**Review please if you enjoyed it? :D**


	3. let's play fairy godmother

**I know this is going to sound awkward... but when I have to retype something that basically all written for me already... I just can't do it. It turns into almost a painful experience. I HAAAAATE retyping. ((headdesk)) **

**So sorry this took so long...**

**I've also noticed that I have a knack for alliteration. : D "beloved (bitchy) birthday boy" CAN YOU FIND THEM ALL!**

x.x.x

**The** _Disloyal_ **Order** **of** Sunflowers

_let's play fairy godmother_

At the setting of the sun, visitors began pouring into the royal palace, all showing their golden invites at the door and swishing their dresses and shawls and fixing their ties and cuffs. Even the palace itself had gotten a makeover, wrapped with brightly colored fabrics and lights, with the Royal Seal staring out of every window. Our beloved (when wasn't being a bitch) birthday boy had elegantly draped himself over the throne (because there was no other possible way for him to sit and be completely comfortable) and boredly watched the newcomers. On the outside, he seemed cool, calm and collected, but on the inside, his heart sank with each guest that arrived through the door. He sighed to himself and propped the side of his head against his fist, violet eyes narrowing with each passing second. This was so _boring._

Finally, the last of the guests had arrived, the final being a tall, uncomfortable-looking boy with bright green eyes and a mess of auburn curls and...

Lelouch scowled, suspiciously eying the white and navy uniform the boy wore. He wasn't the only one who noticed; heads swiveled and craned as he walked into the ballroom, looking even more uncomfortable than before.

Of course, there was a reason to be suspicious. Some stranger just decided to show up, wearing the Knight of Zero uniform that had gone missing from the treasury when his mother had still been a child. Still, Lelouch tried to look unconcerned, even as the chatter died down to whispers while the boy approached his throne.

The brunette bowed slightly when he reached him (ugh, the _nerve_, not even bending down all the way!) and shot Lelouch an awkwardly charming grin. It was completely dead-silent by then, not a voice heard under the soft music that too seemed to be steadily growing quieter.

The boy glanced around, frowning at all of the eyes glued to him. He obviously wasn't used to such attention, that much Lelouch could tell, but he was practically _begging _for it when he held out his hand and quite plainly asked, "Would it be too much trouble if I asked you to dance with me?"

Excited whispers ran through the crowd, and Lelouch's suspicious glare turned downright murderous. It wasn't the fact that he was nervous about dancing with another guy... but the rumors this would start!

"...I suppose not," the raven said finally, turning a little pink around the ears at the eruption of gossiping whispers. He sat up and shifted around in his throne, swinging his legs back down to the floor, and pushed himself to his feet, letting the brunette lead him to the center of the dance floor. Lelouch was staring at him curiously now, violet orbs stuck on the amethyst pendant attached at the boy's throat. Before he could ask, the brunette twined their hands together, his free one coming to rest on the small of the raven's back. He smiled casually and cocked an eyebrow at Lelouch's stunned expression.

"You're leading then?" Lelouch asked with an annoyed huff.

"Yes. You're shorter than me, therefore, too short to lead." There were only mere inches separating them, but it seemed that the brunette was going to take advantage of that little fact anyway.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, unable to tear his gaze away from those green orbs, and reluctantly relented, fingers marginally tightening their grip on the brunette's shoulder. Before he knew it, they were spinning around the dance floor in a slow waltz, other couples practically jumping out of their way so that they could watch and whisper amongst themselves.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" the brunette asked suddenly, and Lelouch noted the barely audible note of shyness in his voice.

"...I suppose. Though, I'd enjoy myself a lot more if I knew whose arms I was trusting myself to. And why he has things which he _shouldn't_."

Like that little pendant. Just seeing it made Lelouch's heart jump uncharacteristically, and he couldn't understand for the life of him how it came into this person's possession.

The brunette grinned and cocked his head, glancing down at their twined hands. Lelouch followed his line of vision, noticing the silver band around the other's finger, and almost jerked away, feeling anger bubble up inside him. "You're using magic to hide your identity," he deadpanned, a tic starting up in his left eye. This was a dangerous situation... because it could've been _anyone_ hiding their identity just to sneak into his castle. "Tell me who you are, or I'll call the guards."

"Aw, but Lulu, isn't that a bit harsh?"

A flicker of recognition flashed through Lelouch's violet eyes at the nickname, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "_Now_."

"Um... can we go somewhere private for this?"

"My patience is running out. Fast."

The brunette chuckled and shook his head in amusement, pulling the Prince closer and leaning down until his lips just barely brushed against the Britannian's ear. "Suzaku Kururugi, at your service, my Prince," he murmured, voice soft and deep and shiver-inducing.

The current loose hold around the brunette tightened, and Lelouch let out a relieved sigh, head dipping closer to Suzaku's shoulder. "I knew there was something familiar about you," he breathed, fingers curling into the fabric of the other's uniform. "I... I was worried you wouldn't come. I don't know what I would have done. But..." The Prince paused and leaned back to get a good look at his childhood friend, now truly confused. "But where did you get my mother's ring? And the Knight of Zero uniform?"

"C.C.," Suzaku replied brightly, giving away his intense, heartfelt gratitude for the girl.

"...Ah. Of course."

"Yeah. The girl sure knows how to show up at ungodly hours of the morning and play fairy godmother, y'know?"

Lelouch couldn't help but show a tiny amused smile, letting his head drop back down to Suzaku's shoulder. This prompted more excited whispers from his guests, but... he didn't really care. Sure, it had been years since he'd seen the brunette, but it only felt like days. He had every right to be the clingy child he once was.

"So what now?" he asked quietly. "Now that we're finally together, and Schneizel can't recognize you... What do we do?"

There was a short, almost awkward silence, followed by an even more awkward cough. "I was... um... Well, I was kind of hoping you'd take me up on the offer of going somewhere where we can be alone? At least for a little while. I missed you too damn much to share you..."

"Oh?" Lelouch leaned back once more, smirking at the light flush on the brunette's cheeks. "Yeah, I suppose I wouldn't mind that," he admitted nonchalantly. "Unfortunately, going to my room would look suspicious, so... how about the garden? I'm sure it'll be easy to find something secluded outside."

Suzaku stepped back at the suggestion, keeping their hands clasped together, and wordlessly led Lelouch out of the ballroom before anyone could _really_ notice. A couple of girls arched their brows suggestively as they passed, but that was all. Everyone was too preoccupied with the other Royalty, which was also too preoccupied to notice the missing birthday boy.

Only moments after they stepped out into the quiet of the hallway, a black, white and pink blur flew at them, tackling Lelouch to the floor and prompting and indignant squawk from Suzaku when the raven was wrenched from his grasp.

The blur (now visible as a girl) sat up on Lelouch's chest, jabbing a finger at his nose. "_Where_ do you think you're going?" she cried demandingly, waving her other arm around for effect and nearly smacking Suzaku in the face with her long sleeve. The brunette managed to dodge the onslaught, right before he realized that Lelouch had been taken down by a girl half his size. Now he was caught up in trying to decide whether should laugh or help.

"K-Kaguya... so nice to see you again," the raven managed with a groan, violet orbs narrowing in a half-hearted glare. "I was just going out to talk with an old friend. It isn't a crime, is it?"

"No, but what _is_ a crime is that you're a avoiding your wife! Right, Tianzi?"

Suzaku was so shocked by the proclamation that he hadn't even noticed a tiny silver-haired girl shy away from the door and over to them. "_What_?"

"Ungh, Kaguya, we aren't officially engaged!" Lelouch huffed out impatiently, flinging an arm back in hopes that Suzaku would grab it and drag him away... far, far away.

"Th-that's right!" the little girl piped up with a tiny, shy voice. "Isn't this party so that he could _choose_ a wife?"

"Yeah, well..." The black-haired girl trailed off and followed Lelouch's arm, pale green eyes lighting up in excitement and curiosity when they landed on Suzaku. "...Ooooh, who is _this_, Lulu?"

"Just someone I haven't seen in a long time," the raven huffed, still attempting to escape from under the girl's weight. "And I want to catch up with him. In private. Without you."

The little silverette glanced down at the pair, and then up at Suzaku with a smile. "You look like a Syaoran. Are you Syaoran?"

"Umm... well... uh-"

"Whoever he is, he's _cute_," Kaguya cooed and smirked down at Lelouch. "But I'm still marrying you."

"Kaguya. _Please_, I'm begging you, lord above have mercy, you're _crushing_ my spleen...!"

"Huh? Oh!" Kaguya giggled and hopped off, rising to her feet far more elegantly that she had come down. Lelouch let out a relieved breath of air, his head falling back against the marble floor. "Fine, fine, I'll leave you alone for now, but I _want_ a dance later on, 'kay?"

With that, she smiled brightly and whirled around, grabbing the little silverette's hands. "C'mon, Tianzi, let's go look for Xing-ke!"

The younger girl blinked, but followed Kaguya diligently, back into the ballroom.

Lelouch remained on the floor, glaring up coldly at the ceiling until a shadow fell over his face. He scowled at the bright grin and messy curls of auburn hair, but accepted the hand anyway. "Ugh, you could've helped me sooner."

Suzaku laughed softly and tugged the Prince to his feet, green eyes sweeping over his frame. "You're still as weak as ever, from what I just saw. I can't believe she knocked you down, she's practically half your size!"

"Well, she's stronger than she looked, and I was taken by-what's with _that_ look?" Lelouch asked suddenly, violet orbs narrowing in accusation. "Did I just see you do what I think you did?"

The brunette grinned innocently, arching a nonchalant eyebrow. "What? I didn't do anything."

"Yes you _did_!" Lelouch protested, jabbing a finger at the taller's chest. A smirk pulled at his lips and Suzaku averted his eyes, whistling to himself. "You were checking me out. I saw it, I saw that _look_ in your eyes! Don't you think it's a little rude?"

"...Ch." Suzaku scoffed and rolled his eyes, playfully shoving at Lelouch's shoulder. "You just _wish_ I was checking you out."

Lelouch couldn't help but grin, and reached over to take Suzaku's sleeve, leading him down the hallway. "You're _awfully_ flirty today. I'm curious as to whether that ring simply hides your identity... or if C.C. decided to put a little extra in it?"

"I was just making sure you were okay! _You're _the one who jumped to conclusions. I swear it on my honor as a Britannian Soldier!"

Lelouch glanced over his shoulder, not looking convinced, and came to a stop before a set of wide oak doors. One of them was open, letting the night breeze waft inside and ruffle their hair. The two stared at each other, one bemused and one amused, until Lelouch promptly let go and bolted out the door with a laugh.

"Wh-wha... h-hey! That's not fair!" Suzaku spluttered, sprinting out after him. "I didn't know this was a race!"

To Lelouch's advantage (his only physical advantage, actually), he was light and had long legs, so he actually managed to get quite far into maze-like garden before collapsing onto a bench that was nestled among a patch of sunflowers.

Let it be now noted that, time wise, he only lasted a little over half a minute.

When he looked up, panting and blowing his bangs out of his eyes, he saw Suzaku leisurely striding over, a wide grin on his face. "I was going to run after you, but then I remembered you'd just fall over in a few seconds anyway."

"Oh... shut up," Lelouch snapped half-heartedly, voice airy and breathless.

The brunette chuckled softly and dropped down beside him, patting him good-naturedly on the back. "It's okay, I guess I can give you a _little_ credit for trying."

"Don't patronize me." Lelouch huffed, shaking Suzaku's hand off. "At least I can beat you at chess. And speed-reading. And diplomacy. And not checking out princes in the middle of crowded ballrooms."

"Actually, to correct you, it was _outside_ the crowded ballroom."

"So you weren't checking me out before? Shame."

Suzaku deadpanned, and then reached over, roughly tousling Lelouch's soft, ebony locks of hair. "Shut up. I just missed you, moron."

"And I missed you. I can't tease you a little bit? Jeez, you've grown into even more of a prissy than me." The Prince smirked playfully, completely missing the way a pair of green eyes lit up mischievously. Lelouch let out a yelp of surprise, suddenly finding himself flat on his back in the dirt, staring up at a dark night sky and yellow flower petals clinging to his hair.

"...What the _hell_ was that for? I can't believe you pushed me! _Me_! Your future ruler!"

"Who's the prissy now?" Suzaku laughed brightly and held out his hand. Slim fingers wrapped around his own and the brunette was tugged forward sharply, until he was in the same predicament as Lelouch, except sprawled on top of the Prince instead of on the ground. They both stared at each other, inwardly admiring the way the dim lights that lined the garden's path lit up their eyes. After a moment, Suzaku grinned awkwardly and lifted himself onto his hands and knees. Somewhere above them, almost in another world, a clock tower bell chimed midnight.

Had it really been that long?

"I... only have a couple more hours."

"But you're coming back, aren't you?" Lelouch asked, reluctantly pushing the brunette off. "If that's the case, you can leave as soon as you want. But..." He grinned slowly and reached over, brushing some sunflower petals out of Suzaku's curls. "I'll be pissed if you leave me with Schneizel for too long."

Suzaku smiled, resisting the horribly kittenish urge to lean his head against the other boy's hand. "Don't worry. Your Knight in shining armour will rescue you, Princess."

"...Don't give me that crap. By what time do you have to leave?"

"Uhhh... two forty-five, at the latest."

Lelouch hummed and sat up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. Thankfully, the fine fabrics were dark, so he wasn't worried about getting a little messy. Besides, there were more important things to worry about. "Well... how about another dance? We can still hear the music."

"...Huh? What, you mean here?"

"Why not? There's a patio right down there, and there won't be people staring us down like vultures. Come on."

Though he had almost expected reluctantly on Suzaku's part, the brunette proved him wrong by hopping to his feet like the eager little child he was ten years ago and grabbing Lelouch by the wrist, practically dragging him down the stone-studded pathway. The raven chuckled, letting himself be led down the path that opened up to a large patch of grass and circular wooden platform sitting atop it.

"Y'know, you've changed a lot, Lulu," Suzaku began conversationally, one hand settling at the small of Lelouch's back and the other twining their fingers together.

"Oh? In what way? Since, y'know, you're practically the same little kid."

"Am not! ...I got taller."

"And I didn't?"

"I meant... well. No. I don't know what I meant."

"Do you _ever_?" Lelouch teased, voice growing softer so they could hear the music better. And it was just starting to dawn on him they were together... alone... in a quiet garden.

His musing scattered moments later when Suzaku let out a soft sigh and leaned his head forward, resting their foreheads together. "So... did you think I forgot all about you?"

Violet eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then fell shut. Lelouch took in a deep breath, relaxing himself in Suzaku's arms. He wasn't used to being so close to anyone but his little sister... but he supposed he could let this one slide. Again. "Basically. Especially with Schneizel and his stupid, childish lies. But it's pretty obvious by now that you didn't."

"'Course not... I mean, all this time, I thought _you_ forgot all about _me_." A fleeting, troubled look passed Suzaku's face, but Lelouch felt it more than saw it. "You were... still are Royalty. I'm just a kid from the ghetto. What would it have mattered if you remembered me or not?"

"...Who would forget their first and only friend? The fact that you were just some kid is probably one of the biggest reason I remember you. I've been around royalty all my life, so you stood out."

Suzaku's smile softened, and his hold on the Prince tightened slightly, tugging him closer. They remained like that for a while, with Suzaku resting his head on Lelouch's shoulder, and Lelouch resting his chin on top of the boy's mess of curls, swaying gently to the barely-audible sound of music. The were hardly aware of the clock striking one, and then eventually two.

_Had it really been that long?_

"Suzaku?" Lelouch tilted his head down, burying his nose into the brunette's soft hair. "You awake?"

"...Mmph. Hardly... I should prolly leave soon, huh...?"

He reluctantly lifted his head from Lelouch's warm shoulder, sleepy green eyes searching out the clock tower.

"You should probably leave now. Just to be safe." The Prince took a step back, hands resting on Suzaku's shoulders to keep the boy from tipping over. "I'd rather you not be caught than spend a minute or two more."

Suzaku managed an exhausted smile, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Yeah... I'll see you tomorrow then, Lulu." The kiss on the cheek was completely impulsive, Suzaku hadn't even noticed he had done it until he left, but even then, he didn't turn around to see the Britannian's reaction. He missed the smile, and the barely visible softening in dark violet orbs.

x.x.x

When Suzaku returned home, he found C.C. sprawled out on his couch and flicking through TV channels. She was still in his flight suit, and her hair, which had been kept hidden underneath the rarely used white helmet was now waterfalling over the armrest. She didn't even look up when the brunette walked through the living room and into the attached kitchen, though her mouth did twist up in a half smile.

"Had fun?" she asked, twisting her head back to glance at Suzaku. "You certainly look... excited."

"...If that's a subtle sexual innuendo, then I'm not _that_ excited." If anything, there was a strange mix of happiness and distress scrawled all over the brunette's tan face.

"Oh? Then did something go wrong? Did you piss him off or something?"

Suzaku shrugged offhandedly, back turned, and silently peeled off his gloves. "It's not nothing like that," he muttered softly, letting the ring drop on the table with a soft _clink_.

"Then?" C.C. urged, frowning impatiently. When Suzaku didn't respond, she groaned loudly and dropped her legs down on the floor, practically _dragging_ herself reluctantly off the couch. "Do I have to hire someone to spy on you two tomorrow? Come on, just tell me. Not good enough for him, worried about what people will think if he gets together with a commoner-"

It wasn't that she actually _cared_ all that much (that, or she would never admit it), but she made a promise to Marianne that she'd look after her son, and make sure he was happy and safe. And without Suzaku in the equation, Lelouch wasn't going to be a very happy camper.

Suzaku shifted uncomfortably, feeling the girl's piercing gaze on the back on his neck, and slumped down into the nearest chair, raking his fingers through his hair. "I don't... know. I guess I'm just... the type of person who thinks that true happiness never lasts long."

Though vaguely worded, it was an extremely personal part of Suzaku's life, something that he had learned at far too early an age. It was a part of him that C.C. knew about very well, but simply didn't want to delve into quite yet. After all, Lelouch was still in the dark. And Suzaku was still trying to stubbornly handle things on his own.

"Would you rather not go to the next two parties?" she asked lightly, strolling over to the table and picking up the ring, turning the silver band slowly between her long fingers. "If you don't want to go... just say the word."

Suzaku frowned, falling into a stiff silence. Sure, he had learned that happiness was short-lived... but he also learned that he had to enjoy it as much as he could before it was gone. Besides, what kind of person would he be if he denied Lelouch the right to see him? "No, no... I want to go again, really."

C.C. hummed, arching a fine brow, but didn't press the issue, didn't bother asking why the boy was suddenly so down. "So, what do you want to wear tomorrow? I was thinking something a little more low-key. A Knight of Rounds uniform should be perfect."

"...I wish you thought of something low-key a little earlier. Do you know how many people were staring at me? And _whispering_?"

"Oh, don't be a baby," C.C. drawled, reaching over to flick Suzaku on the forehead. The brunette whined and glared at the girl while she unzipped the flight suit-

"Did you really store your wand between your boobs?"

"Where _else_ am I supposed to put it? I'm sure you already _realize_ how tight this thing is." C.C. smirked and drew the zipper back up, twirling the black wand in her hand. With a quick wave, a neatly folded, white and gold uniform appeared on the table in a cloud of glitter. "...You might want to dust that off first. Oh, and avoid the real Knights, okay? Most of them won't notice you, but a few might report you to Schneizel."

"Alright, I..." Large yawn. "...Will." A combination of not sleeping well the night before and staying up late was quickly taking its toll. "Mmm... thanks again."

C.C. shrugged, flicking her long hair over her shoulder. "No problem." She picked up the ring again and tapped it with her wand, recharging it with magical energy. "Oh, there _might_ be one person you should worry about. Nanaly, Lulu's little sister. Blood-related. Blind. I'm sure you saw her the day you arrived to talk to Schneizel. She won't turn you in, or anything, but still, be nice to her."

Suzaku nodded, too exhausted to answer verbally, and rubbed tiredly at his eyes. He was more grateful than ever for C.C. now... She would be covering him again, which meant he could sleep in and catch up on rest. Ohhh, sweet, blissful sleep-

_-sounds fucking amazing right about now..._

C.C. cocked her head, a strange, almost maternal smile tugging at her lips. "Just... don't worry about it for now," she said slowly, dropping the ring back down on the table and sliding it over to the brunette. "Enjoy the time that you have with him and then... we'll just have to see."

Even if _she_ didn't like tangling herself up in other people's emotions, she still knew that the poor boy needed a break. He golden eyes fell to the medical bills still sitting in the same, neat little stack they were left in yesterday.

"...Dammit, I'm no good at this shit. Just go to sleep, Suzaku."

The boy smiled back tiredly and when his hands dropped from his face, the green-haired girl was gone. Suzaku sighed softly, picked up the ring, and trudged to his bedroom, Arthur trotting after him and rubbing happily against his ankles.

x.x.x

**You know... me 'n Axel never actually finished this roleplay XDD **

**We stopped in the middle of day two and skipped over to kingdom hearts instead LMAO. She was all I'M TIRED OF DOING KH ALL THE TIME and I was like OKAY FINE so we did this and then she was like I MISS SORA ((tears))**

**Or was it me? Either way...**

**Yes, we spell Nanaly, not Nunnally, and Schneizer instead of Schneizel and everyone KNOWS THAT SUZAKU IS SECRETLY SAKURA AND SYAORAN'S LOVE CHILD I MEAN COME ON HE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THEM-**

**Please review :'D**


	4. this is not some fairytale

**THIS CHAPTER TRIED TO KILL ME ;A; BEWARE OF TYPOS. AND I CHANGED SCHNEIZER TO SCHNEIZEL JUST TO MAKE YOU GUYS HAPPY. OKAY? OKAY. **

**Please proceed to the nearest exit.**

x.x.x

**The** _Disloyal_ **Order** **of** Sunflowers

_this is not some fairytale._

"Hey, C.C.," Lelouch said, turning around as he buttoned up his white shirt. The girl was sprawled on his bed, feet propped up on his pillow and lime green hair hanging off the other end. She tilted her head back, lifting a thin brow in question. "I need you to do something for me."

"Whatever it is, no."

"I need directions to Suzaku's."

C.C. sighed deeply and rolled onto her stomach, crossing her legs at the ankles. "You're not planning on going today, are you?"

Lelouch snorted and flicked his hair out of his collar, turning his attention to his cuffs. "As much pleasure as it gives you to think so, I'm not stupid."

The witch rolled her amber eyes and shifted onto her back once more, staring at the swirled ceiling above.

"...I'm going tomorrow morning and I need you to cover for me until I return."

"...Unh. What time?"

"Ten in the morning until six?"

As much as C.C. liked to whine and complain about Lelouch asking her (ordering her) to do favors for him, she almost always ended up doing them in the end. Unless it came to pizza. At times, Lelouch was sure that not even a rusty chainsaw could get between her and her unconditional love for Pizza Hut and their artery clogging... pizzas. This time, though, the Prince's wish could not be granted.

"Aha, and who's going to cover for Suzaku?" C.C. purred, amber eyes twinkling with something Lelouch couldn't quite place. He resisted the urge to squirm on the spot and turned back to the floor-length mirror. Right. How could he have forgotten that the only reason Suzaku had shown up in the first place last night was all thanks to this witch?

"...Fuck."

"Fuck indeed."

Lelouch scowled unhappily at his reflection and yanked the collar higher. "I'll just ask Sayoko to do it then. I suppose it can't be helped."

The girl only huffed in response, watching as Lelouch glanced himself over in the mirror and fixed the ruby clasp on his chest that held his shirt together. Over that went a white jacket with a navy and gold trim, the tails hanging elegantly behind him. He didn't even know why he was trying so hard to make himself look so... presentable. Born with natural good looks that included a sharp, but delicate pale face, satiny-soft black hair, stunning violet eyes and thin figure, Lelouch would have looked good in duct tape. Or a trash bag. Or even a duct-taped trash bag. But the moment he reminded himself who was going to show up again, his normally dormant nerves kicked in and he found himself fretting over his choice of clothes like a girl. Lelouch vi _Britannia_, fretting like a _girl_. Over _clothes_. Gods above, if Schneizel ever found out... No, wait... he couldn't think like that anymore. He was practically an adult now and Schneizel had no control over him.

"You're wearing that?"

"Well, you're not wearing anything, so shut it." Indeed, the girl had been lying naked on his bed for the past couple of hours or so, just barely covered by the tangle of white sheets around her. She claimed she was too lazy to reach for her clothes and Lelouch was damn well not going to get them for her. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to be moving all that much today, so I don't have to worry about dirtying my clothes. So there."

"Are you nervous?"

"You're annoying."

"_Awwww_, that's almost adorable."

Lelouch narrowed his violet eyes in a glare, whirling around the scowl at the girl. "What does it matter? He's my friend."

"Yeeeaah," C.C. drawled in agreement, lifting a lock of her hair and holding the ends up to the light. "You two spent barely twenty four hours together. He dragged you to sleep in the dirt and then you played hide and go seek in the morning. Now you see him again ten years later, after having no contact with him, and act like you're in-"

"Shut up," the prince snapped, brushing his sleeves out. A blush was rising to his face, tinting his cheeks and the tips of his ears pink. "I know what I'm doing."

"But not what you're feeling."

"Go away, witch."

"Don't be a fool."

Now it was Lelouch's turn to huff and stalk over to the window, pretending like he didn't have any idea as to what the green-haired girl was talking about. In truth, he knew all too well, but it wasn't something he was familiar with. He'd had romantic feelings before for certain people, but none were as strong as the ones he felt around Suzaku... and they only spent one night together so far, not including the one ten years ago. All he knew was that he'd spent the last ten years of his life thinking about the brunet on and off, and the last three thinking about him non-stop. That had to mean something, right...?

_So what am I supposed to do then?_ he thought miserably, pushing open a window at the far end of the room and leaning forward to rest his elbows on the sill. _Tomorrow night I'm supposed to choose some fool for a wife, but... just the thought of it is making me shudder. I don't even know how I feel about Suzaku yet._

Well... he'd figure something out. He had to. His brain was wired for such tasks.

x.x.x

By evening, Lelouch was holed up in a private cabin above the theatre that was found in the far West wing of the Britannian Palace, waiting for an opera that was to be performed for his pleasure. Something about fairies and queens... or was that the title. Either way, Lelouch hadn't been paying much attention because not only did he not care for the show (his siblings just wanted to look fancy for the guests), but it was also because his thoughts were too busy spiraling around Suzaku.

The only others keeping him company were Nanaly and two Knights of the Round who were acting as his personal bodyguards for the night. Lelouch wished they did a better job of distracting him from his nerves, but Nanaly only sat quietly beside him, waiting for the performance to start, and Gino had dragged Anya off to get some candy.

_As bodyguards, those two are quite counterproductive... Thank God I stationed Rolo outside the door with instructions._

The raven-haired prince jumped slightly when he felt a hand cover his and turned to his sister, not even noticing that she had said something. He swallowed thickly and pulled a deep breath into his lungs, trying to manage a smile. "I'm sorry, Nanaly, what was that?"

The girl cocked her head, her brows knitting together like they usually did when she was worrying about her brother's state of mental health, and nodded to the door behind them. "Lulu, I think your friend is here."

Lelouch frowned slightly and leaned over the armrest of his chair to look at the back of the room (who designed this chamber anyway? If anything happened, he'd be shot in the back of the head like the United State's sixteenth president...) just in time to see Rolo pushing a slightly flustered brunet through the curtains that covered the door. The boy picked himself up with a sheepish grin, looking awkward in a white suit and a gold-trimmed blue cape clinging to his shoulders.

Curious. As an _I'm pretending to care but really not_ early birthday gift from the Emperor, Lelouch had received control of the Knights of the Round as Charles didn't seem to particularly care for them. Lelouch didn't seem to remember this one but the silver band he wore on his right hand looked a little familiar.

"Name," he ordered coolly, making the brunet jump.

The boy smiled a little nervously, his green eyes flicking from the sandy-haired Princess to the Prince sitting beside her. "It's me," he muttered quietly, holding his hands up to show that he meant no harm, "Suzaku."

"Oh." The raven visibly relaxed, his lips curving into a lazy smile. He gestured with his free hand, the one that wasn't threaded with Nanaly's, for Suzaku to come over and take the extra seat beside him, which the boy accepted with a relieved sigh.

"I told you so," Nanaly whispered, leaning in close to pout at her brother.

"So C.C.'s spell doesn't work on you? Of course not... Suzaku, this is my little sister-"

"Nanaly, I know."

Lelouch blinked in surprise, but his smile only widened further when Nanaly extended a hand and Suzaku took it gently, dropping a kiss on her knuckles. Show off. An adorable, cocky show off.

"So did you sleep well?" Suzaku asked, stretching his limbs a little and getting comfortable in the cushioned chair.

"I suppose," Lelouch murmured, regarding Suzaku with a curious glint in his eyes. He blinked and then leaned back, violet orbs sweeping down the brunet's frame. "Hmph. I wondered where the Knight of Seven uniform went. It was gone this morning. I really wish C.C. would tell me these things first."

Suzaku blushed a little and shrugged, self-consciously fixing his cufflinks. "She thought it would be a good idea."

"Good idea? Yes, brilliant. She has quite the sense of humor, the witch, considering you'll be here with me all night long. With two other Knights."

The brunet was instantly frowning, looking even more self-conscious than before. The weight of Lelouch's eyes on him just made it even worse and he fidgeted slightly in his seat.

"... Don't worry, Suzaku," Lelouch said after a long pause. He reached out and pressed a hand to the boy's shoulder, pushing him into the back of his chair. "Gino and Anya won't say a word. Besides, no one recognizes you anyway. Alright? Just try to not look _too_ suspicious."

Nanaly giggled softly beside her brother. "You're perfectly safe with us."

Suzaku smiled gratefully and murmured a soft thanks. It would suck if he got kicked out just because it was part of C.C.'s stupid joke. She probably meant well, right? After all, she knew how much Suzaku wanted to be there and even covered for him, so there would be no reason for her to deliberately set him up.

"...Anyway, I hope you enjoy opera, Suzaku."

"...Are you being sarcastic?"

"_No_? Why would I-oh Gods, you probably won't be able to sit still for hours, will you? Dammit. I knew this was a bad-are you _giggling_?"

"N-no!" Suzaku gasped out, ducking fast as a pale hand missed the top of his head by mere centimetres.

"Brother actually wanted ballet tonight," Nanaly quipped with a smile, which provoked another snicker from Suzaku, "But brother Schneizel simply _insisted_ on opera-"

"Because he's a damn show-off. This is _my_ birthday."

Suzaku, seeing the opportunity to redeem himself, quickly jumped in, "Yeah, but this is probably better for Nanaly, right? I mean, in a ballet, you just watch, right? But if you're listening to something, it gives you a better chance to imagine something on your own. Kind of like reading a book..."

Lelouch blinked slowly, and even Nanaly turned her head towards the brunet, waves of sandy blonde hair falling over her shoulder. Suzaku flushed brightly, at which point Nanaly let out a soft laugh and said, "Suzaku, you're the sweetest."

Suzaku floundered for some sort of response, eventually settling on folding his arms over his chest and staring intently at the balcony railing while Lelouch chuckled at him.

They spent the next few moments in silence, until the door behind them swung open and sent the curtain over it fluttering.

"We have returned bearing gifts!" came the loud cheer from behind. Suzaku turned around and saw two Knights striding inside, one tall, blond and loud, the second short, quiet, with her pink hair done up in an elegant ponytail. Both of them wore the same white and gold uniform that Suzaku was sporting.

The brunet glanced at Lelouch, but the Prince was looking at the blond Knight with a look of distaste. "...Gino, that's enough popcorn to feed a _village_."

"If you ask nicely, my Lord, I might share."

Wow. He was a bold one, too.

"Oh, and who's this? Don't tell me we got _another_ new Knight when I wasn't looking!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Gino, you're the newest one."

Suzaku blinked, suddenly finding himself up close and personal with a pair of very bright blue eyes and a pearly white grin.

"It was C.C.'s idea. He's my guest, not a Knight of the Rounds."

"That so?" Gino straightened himself out and walked around the three chairs in the center of the room to the two that were perpendicular to Nanaly's. "Damn, I was kind of hoping to have someone else to talk to beside Anya."

The girl in the second chair didn't even look up from the electronic diary in her left hand, her right digging through a large bag of candy that was sitting on her lap.

"Well, technically, I _am_ a Kn-ow!" Suzaku winced, Lelouch's elbow digging deep into his ribs. He narrowed his green eyes unhappily at the Prince, and was met with a steely gaze. The moment Gino busied himself with trying to get Nanaly to throw popcorn into his mouth, Lelouch leaned in close, until Suzaku could feel the soft brush of his fringe against his cheek.

"If you can call 'Lloyd's Toy' a 'Knight's position," he whispered, voice velvety and teasing.

"...H-hey! I take offense to that," Suzaku hissed back. "...Besides, there's a difference between Toy and Guinea Pig, okay?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes and leaned back, leaving Suzaku just a smidge disappointed. "Maybe I _should_ make you Knight of the Rounds," he mused, voice returning to its normal volume. "The uniform seems to fit you exceptionably well. Perhaps that was C.C.'s intention..."

"Knight of Zero?"

For a moment, Lelouch seemed confused, staring blankly at Anya. The girl frowned and held out her cellphone, which showed a photo of Suzaku with Lelouch from last night, walking towards the doorway. Oh, right... he'd been wearing that yesterday...

"Oh, yeah! You're the same guy, aren't you?" Gino asked, plucking a piece of popcorn from his hair. "From yesterday. Dude, everyone's been talking about you. Someone said your name was Syaoran?"

Suzaku blinked in surprise and nodded somewhat uncertainly. Lelouch smiled, laughing softly under his breath. "It seems that Empress Tianzi and Kaguya have coined a new name for you," he said quietly, in a tone that meant _go along with it._ "They've been talking about you nonstop. Especially Kaguya. Looks like I might have some competition."

Suzaku shrugged slowly, tapping his fingers on the armrest that was shared between his and Lelouch's chairs. "Hardly. She's my cousin."

Lelouch nearly fell out of his seat.

"... I should have seen this coming," the Prince mumbled to himself, sliding a hand over his face and rubbing the bridge of his nose slowly. "I'll show Schneizel... he's so childishly jealous sometimes, it's ridiculous."

Suzaku's curiosity had definitely been piqued, but the choice entertainment for the night was beginning and even Gino somehow managed to fall silent. The brunet spent the next two hours trying to figure out an inconspicuous way to hold Lelouch's hand without anyone's notice. He finally gave up and let his hand fall on top of the Prince's, which ensued a silent, but violent game of thumb war.

x.x.x

"Oh maaaaan... my legs are sore," Suzaku groaned, stretching himself out as the lights around them slowly gathered strength and brightened the chamber. He could feel Lelouch's eyes on him and quickly withdrew himself back into the chair with a blush.

Before he had the chance to move, or even think, a set of pale, delicate fingers wrapped themselves around his wrist and pulled gently.

"Gino, Anya, would you mind watching after Nanaly for a moment? I need to speak with Syaoran."

God, he made the name sound so natural.

Suzaku hopped to his feet, as Lelouch was pulling without waiting for him to stand, and followed the Prince out into the hallway. The violet-eyed young boy from before, dressed in black with the royal crest spread over his chest, was still standing guard by the door, paying the two no attention. They went down the hall, the grand, arched windows on the left displaying a clear night sky. It wasn't until the two were out on the balcony that Suzaku finally looked Lelouch in the face and decided that his eyes, deep violet and sparkling from the lights behind the, put the starry sky right to shame.

"Suzaku, are you alright?"

The boy jumped slightly, realizing he'd been caught staring, and averted his eyes to the greenery below. "Y-yeah, of course. Better than ever."

There was a hand on his wrist again, slowly running up the length of his arm and stopping at his shoulders where thin nimble fingers began working mind-numbing circles into the muscles there. Suzaku swallowed loudly. Not fair.

"Su-za-ku... what's on your mind? Tell me."

He never noticed how perfectly cut the hedges were until he forced himself to stare at them for an extended period of time.

"_Suzaku._"

"...Who's your gardener?" he blurted out suddenly, mentally smacking himself hard in the face. What. Was _that?_

The same train of thought seemed to be chugging through Lelouch's brain, because the Prince blinked slowly and cocked a confused brow. "... I'm sorry?"

"... I don't even know. Don't ask. I'm sorry." Suzaku grinned sheepishly and pulled a gloved hand through his curls in an attempt to calm his racing heart. Lelouch gave him a questioning look, so Suzaku added, "I guess I'm a little nervous."

"Nervous," Lelouch echoed slowly. His fingers stilled at the base of Suzaku's neck, a small smile tugging at his lips.

_He is too cute._

"Am I making you nervous, Suzaku?"

"Um... I guess... you can sort of say that..."

"Is that so? Is that it? You can tell me, you know."

The brunet bit his lower lip, the way Lelouch was watching him with that soft, warm smile making him want to kiss him silly right there on the spot. "Your eyes. They're really pretty. I mean-um. Shit. I'm sorry. That's such a girly thing to say, but-"

Lelouch was laughing.

Suzaku flushed indignantly and opened his mouth to retort, but a slim finger pressed up against his lips. "Calm down; I'm flattered, really. I usually hear that from nobles trying to suck up to me-"

"But I'm not-"

"Hush, Suzaku. I know. That's what makes it better. Calm down, okay? Gods, you're acting so strangely today. You weren't like this yesterday."

The brunet smiled weakly and took the hand that was on his shoulder and pressed it to his chest, right over his heart. Lelouch stared at the white fabric between his fingers, eyes widening slightly.

"You've _no_ idea what you're doing to me," Suzaku murmured, threading his fingers with Lelouch's. "Hell, even _I_ don't know what you're doing to me."

Lelouch's eyes turned liquid, the rapid beating beneath his fingers surging into his own chest and blooming in the cavity. He wound his fingers into the front of Suzaku's pristine white jacket and pulled the boy into his arms, burying his face into soft auburn curls.

There was so much to talk about, a plethora of things to discuss, but if there was one thing Lelouch was sure of, it was that he wanted Suzaku by his side.

"Four days," he whispered, feeling Suzaku stiffen, and then relax against him. "It's been four days total. You don't know what you're doing to _me_. I've never been so irrational in my _life_, and it's never felt so right until now." He leaned back, only so he could press their foreheads together. "Kururugi Suzaku, I'm going to make you my Knight."

Jade orbs widened in shock and Lelouch dipped his head closer, lips barely hovering over Suzaku's and dark lashes brushing against his tanned cheeks until they-

_Riiiiiiiiiiing._

Both boys leapt apart as though they had been zapped with a tazer, Suzaku frantically fumbling in his pocket for his cell phone.

Lelouch looked positively livid.

"Sh-shit... sorry, Lelouch..."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know, it says Unknown Caller."

Lelouch snatched the device from Suzaku's fingers and flipped it open, pressing it to his ear. "Hello? ... C.C.? ... Ah. Right. Of course he would. Yes... I'll tell him."

The Prince sighed heavily and ended the call, pushing the phone back into Suzaku's hands. "It seems our night has to be cut short. I think Schneizel suspects something. You have precisely fourteen minutes to get back to the barracks and switch places with C.C. before he arrives."

Suzaku looked like he was ready to have a panic attack. "_Fourteen_?"

"Don't worry, I'll stall him." Lelouch winked and pressed a kiss to Suzaku's forehead. The boy blushed (much to the Prince's delight) and Lelouch pushed him down the stone steps that led to the gardens. "The wisteria is on the west side of the wall!" he called after him, grinning when Suzaku turned around to wave at him and nearly tripped.

_Too cute._

Now that that was over and done with, Lelouch would have about three minutes to find Schneizel and inconspicuously distract him. Then he would just have to convince Anya to delete those pictures off her phone. God forbid his brother saw _those_.

x.x.x

"That was _way_ too close," Suzaku gasped, finally finding the strength to speak after collapsing onto his couch. C.C. followed closely behind, shutting the front door quietly. Arthur meowed his hello and resumed his nap by the foot of the heater.

When Schneizel had arrived, Suzaku barely had a leg into his flight suit and C.C. was practically naked (though she hardly seemed to care). The brunet pilot _just_ made it into the hangar and zip up seconds before Schneizel stepped in with his escorts, a sickly saccharine smile plastered over his face.

Suzaku was hot and sweaty and he knew he looked it, too, but Cecile only smiled and tossed him a towel and a water bottle as though they had just finished a few test runs, and Lloyd intercepted the blond Prince with a cackling laugh and flailing arms, showing him blueprints for something he called the VARIS rifle.

Needless to say, for a few, fleeting seconds, Suzaku was contemplating marrying the crazy man.

(...Just for a few seconds.)

"Cecile and Lloyd make quite the team," C.C. mused monotonously as she drifted through the living room and to the adjacent kitchenette, pulling the fridge door open and sticking her head inside.

"...Unh. I thought I was going to have a heart attack."

"Well, you didn't," C.C. said, straightening out when she finally found what she wanted. She gently nudged the door shut and made her way back to the couch, perching herself on the armrest by Suzaku's hair with a slice of cold pizza in her hand. "You were lucky that Lelouch found Schneizel before he left, otherwise you-"

"Would have died?"

"Maybe." C.C. chuckled darkly and Suzaku didn't like it one bit. "Good thing Schneizel adores Lelouch, though. It's too bad that on the inside, he's just a spoiled, jealous brat."

Suzaku blinked and lifted his head from the cushions, propping himself up on his elbows. "... You know, personally, I've called Schneizel many things throughout the years, but _brat_ hasn't made the vocab list even once."

C.C. rolled her shoulders in a delicate shrug, strands of lime green tumbling over her chest. She had clothed herself before they left Lloyd's lab, returning to her previous white outfit with the black belt buckles and boots. "He cares for the people that work for him, for people that are loyal to him, and he loves his siblings. But, he's not afraid to be cold to whomever he doesn't like. It's not that he doesn't like you because you're _Japanese_, it's because you snatched Lelouch's pretty heart away from him. Schneizel doesn't like having things taken away from him." The witch laughed softly, but the sound died down when she realized her little monologue had done nothing to uplift Suzaku's mood. The brunet was simply staring up at her with a troubled look in his eyes, even though his face was carefully emotionless. She sighed. Damn. Three days and the boy was already growing on her. Poor thing.

She knew if she heaved an annoyed sigh and asked him to spill it, it would give her no answer. She finished off the last off her pizza and licked her fingertips clean, settling her clean hand in Suzaku's curls. The boy sighed softly, his eyes falling shut.

"There's something on your mind." It wasn't a question.

Suzaku didn't waste any time. "Everything is happening too fast," he murmured, leaning a little more into C.C.'s hand as soon as she began to knead absent circles into his skull. "And... and I'm scared. When you think about it, Lelouch and I have only known each other for a short period of time, and I have feelings for him and... and I _think_ he feels something towards me, but what if it just ends up to be nothing? He wants to make me his Knight, C.C. What if he does, and then later on, he ends up not wanting me anymore?" He shook his head and lifted his hands, dropping his forehead into his palms. "This... is not some fairytale."

"No, it's not," C.C. agreed quietly. "This is reality. And the reality is that you know how you feel and Lelouch knows how he feels. And it's up to the both of you to take that risk. I know it's not the greatest advice, but just think about what you want, and then ask him what he wants. He's smart. He knows the consequences of the decisions he makes. And if he still wants you, then... you know your answer."

"...C.C., that's terrible advice."

The witch laughed quietly and ruffled Suzaku's hair once before pulling her hand away. "Don't get yourself worked up. That will only cloud your mind and make things worse. Go to sleep."

Suzaku groaned softly and folded his arms, dropping his forehead on top of them. C.C. unraveled herself from the armrest and padded into Suzaku's bedroom, returning with the blanket and draping it over the teen's lean frame.

Lelouch would probably go into shock if he saw C.C. act like this. But Lelouch wasn't there, so that was okay.

Hell, even the brunet looked up at her in shock. The witch only gave him a look and Suzaku dropped back down, watching as she pulled her springy wand from out of her sleeve. She waved it over him once and then tapped his forehead with the plastic star on the end.

"You will sleep peacefully tonight," she murmured, leaning down to smooth his bangs back.

Suzaku blinked tiredly, lashes fluttering over his jade eyes. His breath began to even out, the world turning fuzzy at the edges.

_"Everything will be alright."_

x.x.x

**Phew! finally managed to crank this bad boy out. **

**It's too bad serani and I never finished this stupid roleplay XD We stopped about midway through this chapter, when Su was like "MUST. HOLD. HAND. HNNG D:" So now, I have NO idea what I want to happen next. I mean, we had the third day planned out, and I know what I want to happen first, and then the masquerade blah blah blah.. and then, after that, no idea.**

**Should Lu Knight him? Schneizel find out?**

**How about you guys (YES, YOU GAIS) toss out some ideas. I may or may not use any, or I might even combine some! TIME TO MAKE THIS FIC INTERACTIVE LOL.**

**I LOVE ANYONE WHO IS STILL READING THIS P.O.S.**

**P.S. **_**yes. I really am going to milk this 'Syaoran' thing until I can't milk it anymore ;D plz review!**_


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